You’ll Never Make a Sale on Social Media, But It’s a Vital Tool for Selling Printing

Don’t you hate it when you get hit with a sales message that you never wanted?
It seems to happen all the time these days. I seem to have been added to countless e-mail sales lists that I never subscribed to. I receive a lot of phone spam.

One of the main places I am receiving more and more of these sales messages is on social media. If I accept an invitation to connect on LinkedIn I often have a follow up with a full-on sales approach, even though I barely know my connection. Many Twitter streams seem to be little more than automated advertising streams.

If someone tries to sell to me straight away, it makes me less likely to buy
The best sales are made once the salesperson and the prospect have gotten to know each other. Then they can see if there is a good fit between the two of them. Many people seem to have forgotten this on social media.

I actually see some salespeople on social media carrying out activities that will lose them work.

So why should salespeople bother with social media?
Social media is a great way to find and get to know people. It allows you to engage with your connections.

The aim of social media is to create the right relationship with prospects. Then they’ll be much more open to receiving a sales approach from you. You may even find that they approach you.

However, there is an important rule to remember.

Selling takes place outside of social media
Social media is for engagement. Sales are better made in a one-to-one environment, over the phone or an e-mail. It’s more easily done when you have a warm prospect.

Social media is the route to creating those warm prospects.

PS: If you’d like more information on how to use social media effectively, download my free e-guide “Ten Social Media Rules For Print Sales People” at http://profitableprintrelationships.com/social-media-printing-marketing/ You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to use social media and sell print effectively.

EMatthew ParkerAuthor's page
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.